Hi Everyone, I'm Dilan! Here's some information about me:

BA Studies: Manchester School of Architecture
Atelier: Infrastructure Space
Architectural Interests: Community Architecture, Public Buildings
Why I chose this group: Live project and a chance to have some real input. Touching upon all bases from building design to urban design
Hobbies: Football, Cricket, Golf

Hi Everyone, I'm Juliet! Here's some information about me:

BA Studies: Manchester School of Architecture
Atelier: CiA
Architectural Interests: Socially driven projects with a focus on place-making, heritage design.
Why I chose this group: Opportunity to explore a community-based project with a strong social impact through the exploration of wider urban planning and community engagement.
Hobbies: Baking, Model-making, Sketching, Hiking

Hi Everyone, I'm Keyan! Here's some information about me:

BA Studies: graduated from XJTLU in China
Atelier: USE
Architectural Interests: I'm really into Luis Barragan's design, also some projects reflecting culture and social conditions.
Why I chose this group: This group refers to a real project, which will give me more practical experience in the future career. And there is a valuable chance for me to communicate with GT3 architects.

Hi Everyone, I'm Xiaoxuan! Here's some information about me:

BA Studies: Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University
Atelier: CPU
Architectural Interests: Public Buildings
Why I chose this group: interesting project for creating community in small scale urban design, thinking about the relations between locals, buildings and environment.
Hobbies: Sketching, Watching movies

Hi Everyone, I'm Kefei! Here's some information about me:

BA Studies: XianJiaotong-liverpool University
Atelier: CPU
Architectural Interests: Cultural architecture, atmosphere and experience in architecture.
Why I chose this group: This is a real project with social value and combination with human life. Personally, I would like to explore how to interpret the impact of architecture in urban environment.
Hobbies: Painting, Modelling, Video-making, Traveling

Hi Everyone, I'm Jack! Here's some information about me:

BA Studies: University of Nottingham
Atelier: Infrastructure Space
Architectural Interests: Buildings that benefit society and the environment. Projects which revolve around the people they’re designed for.
Why I chose this group: Exciting live project which will hugely benefit the local community once completed and the client seems like a real character we could work well with.

Collaborator 1: Joe Jessop

Joe Jessop is the main collaborator for this project. He has been involved in the consultation process for the community hub with GT3 and other members of the Marple Community and Marple Civic Society, of which he is an active member. Joe was previously the Head of School at Manchester School of Architecture and so he is really keen to get involved!

Collaborator 2: Judith Atkinson, GT3 Architects

Judith Atkinson is our collaborator from GT3 Architects. She joined GT3 in 2015, gaining valuable experience in a range of sectors, including master planning, commercial, leisure and private residential schemes. GT3 specialise in sport and leisure, among other fields, so were key candidates for this project. They were hired by Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council to organise feasibility work and create the initial brief for this mixed-use project in Marple’s Memorial Park which we as a team will be using as the basis of our project!

This project provides an exciting opportunity to revitalise the historic community of Marple. The wider social implications of this mixed-use project are fundamental to its success. What will start off as an isolated project in the park could become the centre point of an urban design scheme. The community hub which we will be designing together has the potential to create a ‘ripple’ effect in the surrounding area, encouraging economic and social prosperity, without losing the 'sense of place' that the residents love.

Skills & Activities:

The varied nature of our project means there is an opportunity to learn numerous different skills. This will include tips on building and urban design from professionals, software use and formatting/presentation skills. These skills will be taught through workshops, live consultations with community groups and our project partners as well as networking with others in the industry!

This is a really good chance to focus and fine-tune skills that will be so valuable in the future!

Here is the Week 1 schedule. Lots of exciting talks and activities planned!

Look forward to meeting the team tomorrow!

Day 3 - Guest Presentation

We welcome Eamonn Canniffe for a guest presentation today on Urban Design Principles in the hope that our interventions will sit nicely in Marple and enhance the area. This will be interesting for the entire team as it is not something we have explored previously! Eamonn is currently the head of the MA Architecture & Urbanism course at the Manchester School of Architecture and with his experienced background in teaching, and some publications on the topic of Urbanism, this will be particularly valuable!

Day 6 - Community Engagement

In order to further understand the significance of the project and to get more of an insight into Marple, we spoke to 4 members of Marple Civic Society, who are also residents of Marple. Interestingly, the issues raised by them were elements that we had already considered and so we were able to have a discussion over possible remedies. This session was particularly useful for all students as we do not get the opportunity for community engagement often. Their feedback will be used as we continue to refine our project.

We are pleased to welcome David Rudlin for a guest lecture on urban design principles. David is Principal and a director of URBED (Urbanism Environment and Design), Chair of the Academy of Urbanism and an Honorary Professor at Manchester University. URBED (Urbanism, Environment and Design) Ltd is an award-winning design and research consultancy based in Manchester who believe in building sustainable towns and cities and enabling good design. David's enthusiasm and experience in the field of urban design will provide a great insight into our project as we come to the closing stages!

Day 9 - Final Review

Joe Jessop and Judith (GT3) returned to review the work we had done in the last week and in relation to their feedback from the review last Friday. This was largely to focus on the park itself and to integrate our building proposals better so that they display the same architectural language. Using the serial visions we had produced as a team, Jack put them alongside the corresponding existing site images to show how our proposals would better the park and Marple. This was followed by a skim through our publication document. Both guests were very complimentary about the final outputs and the standard of work, particularly during Covid times. This is a testament to the hard work of the team over the last 2 weeks.

Joe finished by saying:

‘...I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and thanks to you all. I thought you did very well in absolute terms and brilliantly well given the circumstances.  By way of congratulations I would buy you all a pint if it weren’t for Covid.’